Folding extension-trestle.



No. 764,866. I PATENTED JULY 12, 1904. W. G. READ.

FOLDING EXTENSION TRESTLE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 5. 1904.

N0 MODEL.

NITED STATES Patented July 12, 1904.

WALTER G. READ, OF DAVISVILLE, CALIFORNIA.

FOLDING EXTENSION-TRESTLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 764,866, dated July 12, 1904.

Application filed March 5, 1904.

To all whmn it vnay concern.-

Be it known that I, VVALTER Gr. READ, a citi- Zen of the United States,residing at Davisville, in the county of Yolo and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Folding Extension-Trestles, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an apparatus which is designed for the use of carpenters, painters, plasterers, paper-hangers, and the like.

It consists in the combination of supports, separate legs, braces, and attachments and means for dismembering and folding the apparatus into small compass, so that it can be taken through small doorways and spaces and afterward reassembled and extended to any required size.

It also comprises details of construction which will be more fully explained by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation. elevation with extension-legs. end view.

Fig. 2 is a side I Fig. 3 is an Fig. 4 is a section of end of bar 15. Fig. 5 is a section of overlapping legjoint.

A is the top bar or body portion of my device, having a T-shaped channel made longitudinally from one end to the other opening through its lower side, as shown at 2, and 3 represents plates adapted to slide within the transverse or head portion of the channehand these plates are adapted to be connected by a screw or equivalent 1 with exterior plates 5, which are adapted to be clamped against the bottom of the bar by nuts turnable upon the projecting screws. Two of these plates serve to support the clamps in which the divergent legs 7 are secured and extend downwardly fromv the ends of the trestle, and one or more of these plates may be secured intermediate between the ends of the bar and serve for the attachment of braces, to be hereinafter described. If the trestle be short, a single central plate will be sufficient; but where long trestles are employed, as in overhead work in large rooms, it will be better to have a plurality of these plates, so that they may be placed nearer the legs at the ends and the braces be more effectively disposed. To these plates Serial No. 196,671. (No model.)

5 are hinged the segmental socket-pieces 8 of the clamps, having a curvature adapted to receive the upper ends of the legs, and 8 represents similarly-curved segments fitting the outer sides of the legs. Abolt 9 passes through between the clamps and with a wing-nut upon one end. These parts maybe clamped firmly together and the legs held in position. The upper ends of the legs are made to abut against the bottom of the bar A.

The plates 5 and clamp members 8 are hinged together at a, and these hinges are projected from the plane of the plate suiiiciently to allow the legs to be folded down approximately flat upon the bar A when it is desired to move the parts. The central plate has extensions 10 hinged to it, as shown at 11,

and by means of exterior clamping-plates12, bolts, and Wing-nuts, as at 13, the inner ends of braces 14 are secured to the central plate or plates. The hinges in this case allow these braces to also be folded closely against the other partswhen so desired. The braces 14 are here shown as being divided at a point near the connection with the clamp, and the outer ends are diverged, as shown, and secured by bolts and wing-nuts to transverse braces 15, extending between the lower part of the legs 7. The braces being thus separated and connecting with the transverse bars close to the legs form a very solid and unyielding structure.

- In order to secure the braces 15, 1 have shown them stamped with the outer ends curved to form segments, which clasp the outer portion of the bottom of the legs, and interior to these segments the plate is flattened in planes which allow the end of the braces 14 to lie substantially in contact with these flattened portions. The segments which clasp the legs are slotted. as shown at 16, and interior to the legs areother segmentplates 17, with holes through which bolts 18 pass. The exterior ends of these bolts are formed with projecting lugs 19, so that when the bolts are in line with the slotsthe transverse bars may be easily separated from the legs, and when the parts are to be assembled the bars are placed across the bottom of the legs. The wing-nuts having been loosened,

the bolts may be turned until the hooks or lugs stand transversely of the slot. Then by tightening the nuts the whole is readily clamped together, and by the reversal of the operation here described they are as readily dismounted.

WV hen longer legs are desired for the purpose of raising the trestles, these extensions, as at 7*, are clamped to the lower ends of the legs 7. The meeting surfaces of the legs 7 and 7 are preferably flattened, so as to allow of some adjustment to cause the holes made through the two parts to register. A suflicient number of holes are made in the legs 7 and equidistant apart, so that these legs may be moved up or down with relation to the legs 7. Bolts pass through the holes and suitable segmental clamps, as shown at 20, and wing-nuts upon the ends of the bolts enable them to be firmly locked together.

This construction of the horse or trestle enables the user to readily assemble it together at any desired height and to assemble, dismount, and fold the parts without separating, so that it may be moved from room to room, which is especially important when working in houses with comparatively small rooms.

If the trestles are to be made low, with short legs, as for the support of boards or tables as used by paper-hangers, it will be manifest that the clamps for the upper ends of the legs may be made sufficiently rigid and locked into the slot in the top bar without the interposition of the other parts.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A sectional trestle comprising a top bar having a T-shaped channel made longitudinally in the lower part, plates fitting and slidable in said channels, exterior plates abutting against the bottom of end portions of the bar and bolts and nuts whereby the inner and outer plates may be locked together, leg-sections made convergent toward the bar, a twopart clamp secured to the upper portions of each of the leg-sections, one member of each clamp being hingedly secured to an exterior plate to allow the leg-sections to be folded approximately flat against the bar, a central plate, clamps hinged thereto, and forked braces diverging from the clamp, and having their forked ends secured to the members of the converging leg-sections.

2. A sectional trestle consisting of a main top bar having a T-shaped channel made longitudinally in the lower part, plates fitting and slidable in said channel, exterior plates and bolts with wing-nuts whereby exterior and interior plates may be locked to the bar, segmental clamps adapted to receive the upper ends of divergent legs, said clamps being hinged to the said exterior plates and foldable thereon, centrally-disposed interior and exterior plates and clamps hinged thereto, bracebars having the upper single ends secured to said clamps, the lower ends diverging from each other, transverse bars having segments at the ends, and bolts and nuts whereby they are locked to the lower ends of the legs, said segments having flattened portions contiguous to the segments and clamping-bolts whereby the ends of the braces are secured thereto.

8. A sectional trestle comprising a channeled top bar with interior and exterior plates and locking-bolts, segmental clamps adapted to receive the upper ends of divergent legs, said clamps being foldably hinged to the said exterior plates, extension-legs having a series of holes made through them, corresponding holes made in the main legs, slotted clamps, hook bolts adapted to pass through said clamps and turnable to interlock therewith and having nuts whereby the legs may be secured together, transverse bars extending between the legs having segmental ends to fit the legs and diagonally-flattened portions, brace-bars having their outer ends secured to said flattened surfaces, said bars having convergence to a single portion, exterior and interior plates secured to the slotted top bar, clamps hinged to said plates and means by which the inner ends of the brace-bars are locked to said clamps.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WALTER G. READ.

VVitnosses:

FRANK GAsTEIeER, M. C. DOHERTY. 

